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Review: Today’s Weather is ambient with a chance of surprise

Album cover for Today’s Weather

It always seems weird when talking about ambient music. A lot of people I’ve spoken to find it to be boring, which to me is exactly what its suppose to be in some sense. Ambient music is background music and is a different type of listening experience. Some ambient music, like drone music, is a challenge of time. The repetitions and tones challenge the listener, rewarding them with visit to new mental states.

Ambient music can provide an enhanced experience within an environment and RedWater does this in Today’s Weather. Made mostly of soft tones and piano, the album is made of a single 20-minute piece which is a mixtape of material RedWater compiled in one night in 2016. Overall, it some of it makes me think what would have happened if Kid A era Radiohead collaborated with Nine Inch Nails on Ghosts I-IV.

For a 20-minute mixtape, it flows extremely well. Which needs to be done correctly with ambient music to be more effective. Some transitions are suddenly rough, while others are extremely smooth. This works though in creating the sense of uncertainty that accompanies the surprising movements within the piece. RedWater also makes use of reprising parts and rewarding listeners with familiarity.

Listening in 2017, during a snow storm here in New York, Today’s Weather is a warm embrace of soft tones with a few change ups to make sure you’re still awake. I recommend the album to people looking to hear ambient music as Brian Eno originally meant it to be. Or anyone in the Northeast United States looking for a soundtrack to the snowstorm we’re experience today, March 14, 2017.

The album is available on Bandcamp along with his next release due March 16th. There’s also nice visuals on his Instagram.